European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 8, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Friday july 8, 1994 misery to Americus Gap disastrous flooding turned towns into islands swept people to their deaths before helpless witnesses and left 500,000 people without Safe drinking water in Central and Southern Georgia. A. A a nine people were swallowed by flood Waters wednesday near Americus which got 23 inches of rain in less than 24 hours said Sumter county Coroner Lynwood Mcclung. At least 15 deaths Over the past three Days have been blamed on flooding caused by heavy Rains from the remnants of tropical storm Alberto. The floods forced hundreds of people from their Homes washed out roads and Bridges and sent Flash floods racing across the Sodden Earth. Gov. Zell Miller declared 30 of the states 159 counties disaster areas More rain fell on thursday. Damage to government owned structures such As water plants roads and Bridges was estimated at $58 million. There was no estimate for Homes or businesses. A in Americus in southwestern Georgia helpless bystanders watched a screaming woman clutching a baby slip into the rumbling town Creek. The Bridge had just washed out and the woman stood atop her car As it slowly Slid cd own the Bank. She and her child were still missing thursday. A a it was like the Atlantic Ocean a said Catherine Andrew who watched with several others from across the Creek. She said a Man in another car also was swept away. A a a a a. A a a a people Are wandering around aim less by a Americus fire chief Steve Moreno. A in a few Days reality will set in a Moreno said five people died when their cars were swept off Bridges. About 76 Miles Southeast of Atlanta the Okmulgee River overflowed its Banks and rolled Down interstates 75 and 16 into Macon. Water on the highways was 4 feet deep in places. A the 30-foot-tall earthen levee protecting the City of 107,000 was breached wednesday night. Prisoners and volunteers worked overnight to reinforce the mile Long levee with sandbags. As water flooded 40 blocks of the Central Georgia City hundreds of people fled from their Homes and up to 6 feet of water flowed into some businesses. A you can watch it Rise. You can go Down a Street and then when you come Back up it it la be flooded a said Connie Howard. A a. A neighbors yells awakened Ginny drinking water is distributed to residents of Americus. A train is stranded by Okmulgee River overflow a business in Macon is swamped by deep floodwaters Mae Woods As Chest High water rushed people in the City and surrounding coun Dougherty county police planned to go into her Mobile Home. To. Door to door thursday warning More a a i Wras screaming and hollering a officials planned to truck in water to than 14,000 people to evacuate the Flint Woods said. Quot i thought i was going to approximately 500,000 people in seven River a flood Plain. A record Crest was  counties who Are expected to be without expected to top Albanys 38-foot levee the flood swamped Macon a water drinkable water for up to a week. Saturday said county emergency Man Plant knocking but service to 150,000 about 150 Miles South of Atlanta in gement director Jim Bramble. $3 i prostate taken in error Cleveland a when cd convict Claude e. Smith Iii says they got the wrong Guy he stalking about his prostate operation not his crime. A Smith is suing the state for.$3 million claiming doctors removed his healthy prostate gland in an operation meant for another inmate. The 1992 surgery left him impotent and without bladder control the 43-year-old Smith said wednesday. He says he also lost hearing in one ear As a result of the anaesthesia. Smith who is White said the inmate with the bad prostate was Claude a. Smith 60, a Black Man who a doing life for murder at another prison. That Smith could not be reached to comment wednesday. A prison spokesman said he could receive letters but not Telephone Calls. Claude e. Smith was paroled last month and. Now lives at a salvation army Halfway House in Columbus. The department of rehabilitation and correction and Ohio state University Hospital Are named As defendants in the lawsuit along with the surgeon. \ department spokesman Joe Andrews and Hospital spokeswoman Sandi Latimer would not comment wednesday. The surgeon or. Jeffrey York now in private practice in Portland Maine did not return a phone Call seeking comment a judge extends deadline for Clinton Case response Little Rock Ark. Apr a Federal judge on wednesday extended the deadline for president Clinton to respond to a sexual harassment lawsuit . District judge Susan Webber Wright moved the deadline Back five Days to aug. 10, after also moving Back a deadline for the plaintiff Paula Corbin Jones. Attorneys for Jones had asked for an Extension of today a deadline for responding to a motion that Clinton a attorneys filed june 27. The judge on wednesday extended that deadline five Days until next wednesday because of a death in the family of one of Jones attorneys. The june 27 motion by Cli Iftoni a attorneys asked the judge to allow Clinton to file Only papers related to the question of whether the president has to respond to civil lawsuits while in office. Clinton a attorneys Are asking to be allowed to put aside other issues including the normally required response to the suites allegations until the immunity question is settled. Last month the judge gave Clinton until aug. 5 to file a detailed response to the allegations but said she planned to decide before that Date whether to permit the president to Deal solely with the immunity question. Jones alleged in her suit filed May 6 that Clinton asked her for sex in 1991 w Hile she was an employee of the Arkansas Industrial development commission a state Agency and he was governor. The supreme court has ruled that presidents May not be sued for official actions taken while in office. But it has not been determined whether they May be sued for actions taken before assuming the presidency